A gutter cover comprises a series of elongated sections of sheet metal adapted for attachment to a roof gutter in overlying relation thereto. Recessed apertures in the gutter cover guide rainwater flowing off of the roof into the gutter. Typically, the gutter cover is formed with a large upper surface. Although it may be slightly ridged, slotted or apertured, the upper surface is generally planar so that leaves, twigs and other debris do not get stuck on it. In this manner, the need to periodically clean the gutter is substantially reduced.
In order to prevent foundation and drainage problems, the gutter cover must guide most, if not all, of the rainwater into the gutter. The relatively large planar upper surface of the cover is not particularly helpful in this regard. As a result of being designed so that tree leaves and the like slide off of it easily, the upper surface tends to let a substantial portion of the rainwater flow off of it as well. Typically, the gutter cover is formed with an elongated trough below the upper surface to catch the rainwater and channel it into the gutter.
The runoff problem is more acute where adjacent slopes of the roof meet. Rainwater is channeled and accelerated by the flashing in the valleys between adjoining roof slopes. It reaches the gutter cover at greater speed and volume than the rainwater flowing off of a single roof slope. The gutter cover configuration just below the valley is not particularly advantageous. As the roof slopes converge at the valley, the gutter cover sections running parallel to and below the slopes converge just below the valley. The gutter cover sections come together at an angle, and the adjoining ends are usually mitered and overlapped. Doing so compromises the cover's ability to channel the rainwater into the gutter because the trough below the upper surface is altered by being mitered and overlapped. Thus, gutter cover configurations that are adequate for individual roof slopes may not prevent runoff below the valleys, particularly during a hard rain.
To meet this problem in the past, rainwater diverters were installed on the upper surface of the gutter cover in axial alignment with the roof valley. However, prior art valley diverters had some shortcomings. Some comprised an inverted V-shaped leading section and two trailing sections spaced a short distance behind and laterally of the leading section. These diverters had a tendency to trap sticks, leaves and other debris between the leading and trailing sections. Other diverters were formed with fins that projected angularly upwardly from the upper surface of the cover in the direction of travel of the rainwater. These diverters had a tendency to allow too much water to flow over them and hence were less than fully effective at preventing runoff.
Thus, the present inventor was faced with the problems of improving the ability of the diverter to prevent runoff while at the same time being relatively inexpensive to construct and install and, once installed, remain substantially free of leaves, twigs and other debris.